Oui, Chef

Minted Beets with Cumin, Lemon and Pistachios

As a child, there were very few vegetables that I really liked at all.   In fact, the list was dismally short, and included just peas and beets....it's a miracle I lived past the age of ten on such a "vegetables prohibited" diet.  What do these two lovelies have in common you might ask?  Certainly not their size or color, nor their botanical specifics, the green pea being technically a seed, the beet a root vegetable.  What they do  have in common is their relatively high concentration of natural sugars that make them among the sweetest "vegetables" around, and a certain hit with almost all kids.  Nature's candy, I like to call them.

This dish is layered with great flavors, none of which are so strong to offend the average kidlet, and yet are sophisticated enough to appeal to the stuffiest gourmand.  The whole shebang can quite easily be prepared by most kids all by themselves.  Roasting the beets does take a bit of time, so plan accordingly, but the balance of the dish can be prepped in just a few minutes. 

Holy Scrap!

Let me start with a great big THANK YOU to the lovely Devaki, author of the terrific food blog "Weave a Thousand Flavors" for tagging me for this, the much coveted "Honest Scrap" award. For those of you in the dark as to the significance of the Honest Scrap (as indeed I was just a few short hours ago), it is an award passed among fellow bloggers in recognition of brilliant or inspiring blog design and content (I'm not entirely convinced that Devaki was clear on this requirement before passing the award along to me and my little band of kitchen slaves.....oh well, it's our now....YIPPEE!).

As there is no such thing as a free lunch, there are a few responsibilities that convey with this award, namely I must:

1. Say Thank You and give a link to the presenter of the award (check....see above)

2. Share "10 Honest Things" about myself (here is where the Holy Scrap! sentiment comes into play)

3. Present this award to 7 others whose blogs I find brilliant in content and/or design, or those who have encouraged me (given how many great blogs I regularly enjoy, this shouldn't be too hard)

4. Tell those 7 people that they have been awarded HONEST SCRAP and inform them of these guidelines.

Chocolate "Earthquake" Cookies

 

This post represents the start of a little experiment here at "Oui, Chef" that we'd love for you to join in.

Here's the deal. 

My wife and I bought a little bag of decadent chocolate treats at a terrific local bakery a few weeks back, and were so enamored with our find, that we immediately began a quest to figure out how to reproduce the goodies at home.  Our first attempt, while tasty, was not even a poor, abused step-child of the yum we were trying to replicate.  This, our second iteration, is much closer, though we still have a few issues to correct.  The point of our experiment, is that we will continue to refine this recipe over time, hopefully with some input from you all, and report back regularly with our progress.  With any luck, we'll develop a clone of these sinfully delicious treats soon, and all get to share in their glory.

Fennel, Stilton and Walnut Smashed Potatoes

To be honest our favorite mashed potatoes are Joel Robuchon's famous pommes puree, silky smooth and very rich in butter. They are a little slice of heaven on earth, but they are a bit of work, what with having to pass them multiple times through a tamis, and the lengthy process of whisking in the butter and milk.  They are also a very refined spud dish, and to me, feel most at home as an accompaniment to an elegant meal like a flaky fish filet, some seared scallops, or as Robuchon often serves them, with  tiny, meltingly tender lamb rib chops. 

On an evening when you are serving something a little less refined, like a big old rib-eye, or some beef or pork ribs, why not swing way over to the other end of things, and make a smashed potato with a more rustic texture, and maybe even a little crunch. This dish is an amalgam of some of our favorite flavors, and is perfect with roast chicken, a nice thick steak, or even a braised lamb shank. Smash it all together in a big pot just before serving for a dish quite unlike any other mashed potatoes you've ever had.  This smash was inspired by some fabulously chunky potatoes I had at "Olives" once.

We like the stilton mixed into the potatoes so that it melts a little, spreading its pungent, salty tang throughout the dish.  If some in your gang don't care for blue cheese, feel free to pass it on the side, allowing individuals to sprinkle it over the finished dish if they wish.

Recipe:

Fennel, Stilton and Walnut Smashed Potatoes

by: Steve Dunn

(Print Friendly Recipe)

Ingredients:

• 2 1/2 pounds red skinned or yukon gold potatoes
• 1 cup roughly chopped walnuts, toasted
• 1 bulb fennel, roasted
• 1 cup creme fraiche
• 4 ounces stilton cheese, crumbled
• 3 tablespoons butter
• 1 bunch chives, finely minced for garnish
• kosher salt and pepper to taste

Method:

Preheat your oven to 425℉ .

Wash, core and roughly chop the bulb of fennel. Toss into a bowl with a little olive oil, salt and pepper. Pour onto a baking sheet and place into the oven. Roast for 20-25 minutes, until the fennel is nicely caramelized and has softened. Remove from the oven and reserve.

Cook the potatoes in their jackets in boiling, salted water until cooked through. Drain them, then return them to the pan and smash them while heating over a low flame to help remove some residual moisture.

With the potatoes still on low heat, add the butter and stir to incorporate, then add the creme fraiche, fennel, toasted walnuts, and season with salt and pepper.

Place in a warmed bowl, top with crumbled stilton and chives, and serve.

Serves 8

A Frenchman's Chili?

 

By the time they finish reading this post, I expect that a few of my old friends from Houston will be packing a box of shells, securing rifles in their gun-racks, and starting the long journey north to have a word with me.  They will undoubtedly think that I have lost all my marbles, and am in desperate need of a little "Come to Jesus" parley (that's more or less an intervention for those of us that speak plain English).  Having just read the words "Frenchman" and "Chili" in the same phrase will have left them just this side of insanity, and I suspect that once they've recovered from their apoplexia, they'll be feelin' the need to set me straight.  If you never hear from me again, then you'll know they found me.

Why, you must be asking, am I willing to take such a risk by sharing this recipe?  Because the Frenchman I am referring to is Chef Daniel Boulud, and his chili is the best I've ever had! 

I know...I know, I am as surprised as the rest of you (well, maybe not you Texans), but the texture, depth of flavor, and spice of this chili will make a believer out of you in short order.  Yes, this king of French cuisine does know a thing or two about chili, and I'd wager that this thoughtful and simple recipe will have you singing "La Marseillaise" every time you have a bowl.

Our kids love this dish as well, and there is plenty of chopping, mixing and measuring to keep yours busy in the kitchen with you while you're making it.  If any of you are sensitive to spice you'll want to scale back on the chili powder a bit.  This is not a hell-fire hot chili, but it does pack a punch, as any good chili should.

Recipe:

Smoky Beef Chili:

adapted from:  Braise: A Journey Through International Cuisine by Daniel Boulud and Melissa Clark

(Print Friendly Recipe)

Ingredients:

• 2 limes
• 2 tablespoons masa harina (fine corn meal)
• 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
• 4 pounds beef chuck roast: 2½ pounds cut into ½-inch cubes; 1½ pounds ground (ask your butcher to do this) finely chopped
• ¼ pound slab bacon, cut into large chunks
• 1 large onion, peeled and cut into large cubes
• 4 garlic cloves, peeled and finely chopped
• 1 tablespoon ground cumin
• 1 tablespoon dried regular oregano or Mexican oregano
• 1 tablespoon coarse sea salt or kosher salt
• ¼ cup homemade chili powder *
• 1 tablespoon red wine vinegar
• 1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
• 5 large tomatoes, roughly chopped (or 1- 28 oz. can San Marzano tomatoes, roughly chopped with juices)
• 1 bay leaf
• ½ cup chopped fresh cilantro

Method:

1. Center a rack in the oven and preheat the oven to 300°F.

2. Grate the zest of the limes, then juice both limes. In a large bowl, combine 3 cups water, the masa harina, and the lime zest and juice.

3. Heat the olive oil in a medium cast-iron pot over high heat. Add the beef cubes and ground beef and sear until golden brown on all sides, 10 to 12 minutes. Transfer the beef to a plate and wipe the inside of the pot clean with paper towels.

4. Lower the temperature to medium-high. Add the bacon to the pot and cook until it renders its fat, about 5 minutes. Add the onion, garlic, cumin, oregano, and salt and cook until the onions are softened, 10 to 12 minutes. Add the chili powder, stir to combine, and cook for 1 to 2 more minutes. Stir in the vinegar and Worcestershire sauce and bring to a simmer, scraping up any browned bits stuck to the bottom of the pot. Return the beef cubes and ground meat to the pot and add the tomatoes, bay leaf, and masa harina mixture. Bring to a simmer.

5. Cover the pot and transfer it to the oven to braise for 2 hours, stirring once or twice. Sprinkle with the cilantro leaves right before serving.

NOTE:  The recipe is best when using Boulud's homemade chili powder (recipe below), but it also delicious if you use freshly bought pre-made powder.  I recently made it with store bought powder (1/2 ancho chili powder, 1/2 plain chili powder) and it was terrific!

* Homemade Chili Powder:

Ingredients:

• 4 dried ancho chili peppers
• 4 dried pasilla chili peppers
• 4 dried guajillo chili peppers
• 2 dried chilies de árbol
• 2 dried pequin chili peppers
• 1 small dried habanero chili pepper

Method:

In a dry skillet over medium heat peppers on all sides for 5 to 7 minutes, making sure that they are lightly toasted, but not burned. Transfer them to a plate to cool. Remove and discard the seeds from the peppers. Blend the peppers in a spice grinder to a fine powder.

Habanero Chili

Fabulous Roast Chicken

Roast Chicken.

It's hard to think of two other words that fit so perfectly together, isn't it?

To my mind,  a well cooked roast chicken is about as fine a meal as you can eat.  There is just something about it....the tender juicy meat, the crispy, well seasoned skin, and please don't get me started about the aroma that fills the house while it cooks......it is absolutely intoxicating.

Why is it then that so few people I know actually make roast chicken on a regular basis? I know plenty of people who cook chicken regularly, either by cooking "parts" on the grill, or by sautéing cutlets indoors.  I know people that frequently make Buffalo Wings, Coq au Vin, or Chicken Fricasee, but never seem to get around to roasting a whole bird.  Why is that?

Penne with Asparagus, Lemon and Proscuitto

This dish is our interpretation of a recipe from the fabulous "Al Forno" restaurant in Providence, RI.  Their original can be found in the terrific cookbook Cucina Simpatica: Robust Trattoria Cooking From Al Forno written  by the restaurant's owners, Johanne Killeen and George Germon. 

The key to it's success comes from baking it in a large enough pan to hold all the pasta in a very thin layer. This allows the pasta to cook to al dente, and the asparagus to just cook through in a short amount of time in a very hot oven. The flavors of the lemon, tarragon, proscuitto and asparagus marry perfectly....don't expect any left-overs.

It is an easy dish to make on a weeknight, requiring just a few minutes to slice the asparagus and par boil the pasta before tossing it into a large baking dish (or roasting pan) and placing it into the oven.  For those of you who have been with us a while, you may notice the breadcrumbs we use as a topping here are the same ones from our Macaroni and Cheese with Ham recipe.  If you haven't already, make yourself a batch of these and toss them in your freezer, you'll reach for them frequently to top pasta, fish, salads, you name it.

There is plenty of slicing and grating to keep idle young hands busy while making this dish, so by all means, grab one of your kids by the ear and drag them along to help.  This one became an instant classic in our household, I'm sure it will in yours as well.  Cheers - S.

Recipe:

Penne with Asparagus, Prosciutto, and Lemon

Inspired by a dish from: Al Forno's "Cucina Simpatica"

(Print Friendly Recipe)

Ingredients:

• 1 pound Penne Rigate
• 3/4 cup freshly grated pecorino romano cheese
• 3/4 cup freshly grated fontina cheese
• 1 1/2 cups heavy cream
• 1 cup rich chicken stock (2 cups good quality low-sodium stock, reduced by half)
• 1 tablespoon grated lemon zest
• 1 tablespoon finely minced fresh tarragon
• 1 bunch asparagus, washed, dried and root ends trimmed
• 3 tablespoons butter, melted
• 5 ounces thinly sliced imported prosciutto, roughly chopped
• 1/2 teaspoon Kosher salt and a few grinds of white pepper
• 1/3 cup seasoned breadcrumbs

Method:

• Preheat oven to 500 ℉
• Bring a large pot of salted water to boil for the pasta
• For the breadcrumbs - in a saute pan heat 2 tablespoons EVOO over medium heat and toast 1 cup of panko breadcrumbs, 1/4 teaspoon salt and 1/4 teaspoon pepper until golden brown.  Spread on a plate to cool.  (Keep for 2 days in the fridge, or a long time in the freezer)
• In a large bowl, combine the cream, reduced stock, lemon zest, cheeses, salt and pepper
• Slice the asparagus on an extreme bias, about 1/8-1/4” thick and toss into a small bowl with the melted butter, mix to coat
• Boil the pasta for 4 minutes, then drain and toss into the bowl with the cream and other ingredients, mix well
• Pour the pasta into a large baking dish or roasting pan so that it fits comfortably in a thin layer no more than 1” deep.  Sprinkle the sliced asparagus and chopped prosciutto on top and toss it into the oven for 10-12 minutes, until the sauce is bubbling, and the pasta is just starting to take on color.
• Remove from the oven and serve, passing breadcrumbs and grated parmesan to sprinkle on top if desired.

Chicken with Fontina, Proscuitto and Sage

This is my adaptation of a dish I saw Jamie Oliver prepare on Mark Bittman's "Minimalist" web show.  It is absolutely delicious, quick to throw together, and fun for the kids to help with. 

Grab a youngster that has a little anger to vent, hand them a heavy pan or meat mallet, and let 'em go to town smacking down the split chicken breasts to a nice, thin paillard (cutlet).  We used fontina, sage and proscuitto as toppings for these lovelies because that's what we had in our fridge, but by all means, substitute different herbs, cheeses, or cured hams as you wish.  Have a little iberico, or jambon de bayonne hanging around....they'll be perfect.  Shave some parmesan, romano, or grate some cheddar or gruyere, as long as your cheese melts well, it will work.  For the herbs, thyme, rosemary, marjoram....you name it, have some fun with this dish.